Might there be interest in prints of e.g photos of fire/ firework sculptures in action or large sculptural installations? (See under fire and wood on my website).

Having worked in a gallery the focus is on selling limited edition prints and prints in general,from the gallery oweners point of view Originals are not always finished in a pleasing way i.e the sides of deep canvasses on the originals are sometimes left unfinished or not tided up.Also most artists of today like to keep the original for theirselves.

Buyers don't seem to have a problem either way if they want an original they will go for it.

Hi All ,
In answer to your reply Wendy. Why is it that galleries will hold back on an artists work? The answer is to keep it rare, if it is rare it is desirable.
If someone is interested in my work then they should not expect it as a free
gift, they should be prepared to pay for it, I offer my work at a fair price, I also offer my work as an original of my own creation, a one off , so the buyer is investing in something that is rare. You can buy an off the peg suit or you can buy a tailor made suit or a mass produced pair of shoes or a hand made pair of shoes, which would you treasure most?
If my art is to go into a dustbin it will be because I put it there not because it is a printed copy. that can be seen in every home on the planet. Your work should tell you if it is desirable or not by the amount of sales you make or commissions that you get. if it is desirable people will want to treasure it, and that feeling of someone wanting to buy your art, for love is worth more than the money they pay for it. I have read some of you saying that you hate departing with a painting, that is because you know you have given it your best shot, you have done it with love and put your heart and soul into it, this shows that the buyer has also set their heart and soul on the painting enough to want to buy it. no one buys with out at first wanting to own some thing, even if it is just to make a profit on what they have bought. I have no wish to be the richest man in the graveyard, just a man that was respected for the quality of work he offered his clients and I shall rest in peace.
I paint for the love of painting and I paint what I want to paint, and I live a comfortable life style because of that.

Richard,thank you,can I ask how long it has taken you to gain such confidence?this is a sincere question,I am still stuggling with this concept.

What an interesting debate this has turned into! Fasinating to hear all the various thoughts. Re EasyArt, after I wrote my last message, I heard from Easyart saying they were still looking into the problem of my print and would be in contact with me very shortly. Will let you know how things progress.
Diana

Hi Wendy and the rest of the group,
Wendy in answer to your question! I am the eldest child of eleven children, I am also 65 years old, I leaned very early in my life to be true to myself, to believe in myself and to treat each problem as a challenge not an obstacle. Art is a bout challenge, it is about being true to yourself, If you feel that something is wrong with your art seek it out and rectify it, never let a piece of art work go if you are not happy with it. If you are not happy with it then how do you expect anyone to buy it.
Trust only your own instincts, If you feel comfortable with it, that is all that matters, by being honest with yourself you become honest with your art and it will show in your art.
Galleries ask the artist the most stupidest question! What type of artist are you a landscape, portrait or wild life artist ? would they ask De Vinci or Raphael that question? You are a painter an artist that paints what you feel, not someone that is restricted to one subject like someone working in a factory that is only allowed to screw on a certain nut to a component. Art is freedom of expression not restriction.
Michelangelo was a sculptor but he also painted Murals,Van Gough painted portraits as well as nudes and landscape, so there is your guide.
Some painter never sell their art in their life time and from what I see, you are selling your art, if you want to be a millionaire change your job, if you want to be an artist the be patient and work at your art. Be true to yourself
and you will be true to your art.
Richard

Thank you Richard for your thoughts and useful information.

I found this article I thought it was relevent to this thread

What Artists Need to Succeed!

Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-3319 September 11 2007

Artist/Teacher Barbara Garro says, Artists are a gift the world needs to cherish and nourish so their unique art can flourish.

To say committing your soul to creating art requires the very marrow of your bones hardly exaggerates the suffering. Vincent vanGogh said, I put my heart and my soul into my work and have lost my mind in the process.

Of the hundreds of thousands of artists painting at any given moment, what mix creates the greatest success?

1. BELIEF

Do we vote by placing a comment here then?
I don't paint a lot these days but am getting more into collage as a side interest to my bead making. Collage obviously won't transfer into prints anyway but as far as my few paintings are concerned I would say that my view most closely matches that of Rosie, so I would be a 'no'

Hi All,
I will try and clear some of the mud for you, in my experience with both printers and galleries, if you are dealing with a professional gallery or a professional printer these are the things they would be doing or requiring from you.
#1 An image of your work done by a professional Photographer ( not some
joey with a digital camera that thinks he's David Bailey, clicking
everything in site.)
#2 Or the original artwork so that it can be scanned and the colours checked
too give the best quality print.
When you talk about famous artist putting their work into print, they are very meticulous about the quality of the print and colour values; and so are the printers and galleries, because the are putting their reputation on the line. when you buy from a gallery, a print of a limited edition, you can expect to pay quiet a bit of money for them, when last in the U.K a Russel Flint limited edition was about 600 pounds. So if you have embarked on art being your career then you must start off by being more professional, not a Sunday and sunny days painter that paints as a hobby.
When I was last in the U.K a reputable printer was charging about 80pounds to scan your art the printer would expect you to see the art
work scanned and proofs of the print quality so that you were both happy with the finished print and the gallery would also do the same. The printer would the set the price for the number of prints you require for your limited edition and on what paper or canvas you would require.So what are you looking for a good reputation as an artist or a quick buck.
Think about what experience Diana is having with her print, it did not come up to par,why ? Stop selling your self short, if you are selling what you call quality art, where the art relies on tonal values as much as shape and design,then you need it to be reproduced by quality people. If you are not
that bothered and happy to see it on cheap mugs and mouse pads be my guest.

yes, agree with that, which is why I print my own work rather than sending it out to be printed, which would be cheaper (even ignoring the equipment costs)

Just to all on this thread, we've opened the print program this morning:

http://www.theartistsweb.co.uk/Print-Program/

We've decided not to charge any fee for participating in the end.

I will certainly be up for this as another outlet to get my artwork out there.
I do get very fond of my originals but would still be prepared to sell most of them. Prints are just another very good option for buyers and I do not think they would be detremental to sales of originals. If someone wants a piece of original art they will buy one regardless. If they want a print they will do the same. I want to keep my options open and do both.
Thank you for looking into this option AW! And for making it sound relatively painless to those of us without a clue where to start like me!

I agree with Christine on this point. I can't go along with Richard's view, it's a bit like the Rolling Stones saying they're only going to do live shows and never bring out any albums. Prints are a great way to supplement income for those of us who need to make a living from their art but can't command the thousands needed from originals alone. Personally, I would be happy to keep all originals and just sell prints if I could, but reality means I have to pursue every sale whether it be an original, an ACEO or a print, in order to make ends meet.

I Think Prints are a great idea, I can't wait to get it set up on my website . The more people who buy prints the more people who will enjoy and be inspired by looking at my work, and thats what its all about!!! Is that not why we paint for people to look at our work!!!!

Becky
http://www.artbyrebeccabrown.co.uk

I am with you Becky and Will!

Chris.

http://www.chrissieanderson.co.uk